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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28684266">Impulse Control</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arriva/pseuds/Arriva'>Arriva</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Black Tapes Podcast</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Black Tapes Holiday Gift Exchange, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Platonic Relationships, This takes place during episode 2x12, Thomas Warren gets the punch in the face that he DESERVES</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 06:49:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,470</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28684266</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arriva/pseuds/Arriva</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The meeting with Thomas Warren ends a little differently.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alex Reagan &amp; Richard Strand</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Impulse Control</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Meeting with Thomas Warren, on or off the record, is always going to be a bad idea.</p><p>Whether it is going to be bad in that Warren will supply no useful information or bad in that Alex and Strand will actively fear for their safety feels like a coin toss. It could go either way. Alex sits under harsh fluorescents across from Warren's desk in the heart of the Daeva Corp skyscraper, Strand by her side. Warren leans back in his desk chair, green eyes piercing into Strand while Alex actively prepares to spring out of her seat and make a run for it. Warren is perfectly at ease, dropping bombshells of information and hungrily watching the two of them squirm.</p><p>Warren wants Strand to work for him.</p><p>Strand doesn't actually have a million dollars.</p><p>Howard Strand is alive.</p><p>With each startling revelation, the tension in the room cranks up several notches. Alex is in journalism mode which is how she keeps her composure, but internally, she's waiting for something to go wrong.</p><p>If Alex is on edge, Strand is a rubber band stretched so taut he'll snap at any minute. Alex has to keep her attention on Warren, but she can feel the anger and the shock radiating off of Strand, especially as Warren so casually mentions his father. She's seen Strand angry. This is different. This is a seething rage from years of deception. If Alex were in his shoes, she'd feel angry too. Alex wishes she could just reach over and touch him, tell him he shouldn't have to go through this. But this is not the time and most definitely not the place.</p><p>Then Strand is standing followed by Warren which cues Alex to stand as well. "Read the journal," Warren says as Strand looks down at the worn notebook in his hands like it's poison. "If you'd like to hear more, you know where to find me."</p><p>Strand glares daggers into Warren's smug face. Alex puts a gentle hand on his shoulder. "We should go," she says.</p><p>Strand's cool blue eyes meet hers, and he relaxes. They did it. They got the interview. They're in the clear. Nothing happened.</p><p>Only as Alex and Strand head to the door, Warren goes, "And keep an eye on Alex, won't you Richard?" Alex stops in her tracks. Strand's right hand balls into a fist. "Women in your life have such an unfortunate tendency to disappear."</p><p>And Strand snaps.</p><p>He whips around and slams his fist square into Warren's nose. Alex screams. Warren staggers backwards. And just as quickly as the violent rage came over Strand it evaporates, leaving him shocked and confused and staring at his hand.</p><p>He looks at Alex. "I..."</p><p>Of the two of them, she's the first one to snap back into her senses. "We have to go, <em>now</em>!" she says.</p><p>Alex grabs Strand by the arm and pulls him out of Warren's office. She swears she feels Warren watching them, waiting to apprehend them because oh god, Strand just punched him the face and it was so satisfying but this is the worst possible place to do it. They rush past the confused receptionist and when they get to the parking deck, they make a run for her car. </p><p>In conclusion: meeting with Thomas Warren was, in fact, a bad idea.</p><hr/><p>Alex's car squeals out of the parking garage at speeds that should get them pulled over. It's honestly a miracle that she doesn't get pulled. She blasts onto the highway and speeds past the other cars until she's put several miles between them and Daeva Corp. Only then does she allow herself to check in with Strand.</p><p>"You okay?" she says.</p><p>Strand has a stunned expression on his face. Alex still hasn't fully comprehended what just happened; the feeling must be mutual. "Is anyone following us?" he says quietly.</p><p>Is anyone- <em>shit</em>. Alex hasn't even thought of that. She throws frantic glances at her rearview mirror then her side mirror. "I don't think so." But how is she supposed to tell if a car's following her? She hasn't been paying attention to the traffic, and the cars on the highway all look the same to her. Her chest tightens at the thought of a car following them back to the studio or god forbid, her apartment-</p><p>"Are you all right?" Strand says.</p><p>Alex laughs in disbelief. "Me? What about <em>you</em>?" When Strand shoots her a concerned look, she adds, "I'm not the one who just decked Thomas Warren."</p><p>Strand blinks like the thought of his own well-being was his last priority. He holds up the hand that delivered that glorious punch and flexes his fingers. A stifled wince comes out him. "My hand's starting to hurt."</p><p>Of course his hand's hurting, Alex didn't even think of that. She looks over at him and sees bloody knuckles and the start of swelling. "You need ice. We should get ice."</p><p>"That seems like the most appropriate thing to do."</p><p>They drive in tense silence. Alex wants to ask him why, but now is not the time. Part of her is still angry at what Warren said. How dare he use her as some -her hands tighten around the wheel- as some prop to threaten Strand with. She's not Coralee, and their relationship is nothing like Strand and Coralee. The more she thinks about it, the more she wishes she'd taken a punch at Warren too. </p><p>Alex pulls off the next exit and swings into a gas station. As she turns her car off, the first drops of rain hit her windshield. She turns to Strand who stares blankly ahead. "Do you want to come in or...?"</p><p>Strand is hastily unbuckling his seatbelt as if Alex will disappear the second she leaves the car. In truth, she's glad he's coming in with her. Neither one of them has been very good about managing their paranoia as of late, and even though there are other people at the gas station, Alex has been having a harder and harder time not looking over her shoulder to see if anyone (or any<em>thing</em>) is watching her.</p><p>Alex and Strand emerge not with ice (the ice machine is out, the bleary-eyed cashier explains) but with one of those cheap popsicles that's grape flavored but tastes nothing like grape. Alex guides Strand over to a bench by the entrance to the convenience store, and they sit. A steady rain has started to pour, but the roof over the gas station shields them from the downpour. </p><p>Strand reaches for the popsicle. "Here, I'll-"</p><p>"No," Alex swats his hand away. "Let me."</p><p>He stiffens but acquiesces. Alex gingerly takes his right hand (and <em>wow</em>, the bruising is already bad) and presses the plastic-wrapped popsicle onto his bruising knuckles. Strand flinches then relaxes. "Thank you," he says.</p><p>"Yeah, well, next time I punch a creep in the face, I'm sure you'll do the same for me."</p><p>At this, Strand huffs out a laugh, and Alex can't help but do the same. "Have any of your past interviews ever resulted in a physical altercation?" he asks.</p><p>"No- well, one time someone tried to squish a mosquito, and they accidentally hit me instead," Alex says, and the two of them share another small, cautious laugh. The laughter dies just as quickly as it started though, and Alex is left only with the shock of the interview and everything left unsaid about it. Eyes focused down on the pavement, she murmurs, "You didn't have to do that."</p><p>Strand goes still. "He threatened you."</p><p>And god, she knows that, but she doesn't have the emotional capacity to think about it. "I can handle a threat."</p><p>When Strand lets out a skeptical <em>hmph</em>, Alex touches his arm. "Hey. Look at me, Richard." And he does. He always does. Guilt and worry are streaked across his face. "I am not going anywhere. I promise. See?"</p><p>The rain pours, and Alex does not disappear into thin air. They both know the notion is a ridiculous one, and Warren has an infinite amount of resources to make it happen, but right now, the gesture is enough to calm them both. Strand sits back in the bench, watching the cars passing in and out of the gas station. "I wonder if Warren will press charges," he wonders aloud.</p><p>"If he does, I'll testify on your behalf."</p><p>"You would do that?"</p><p>Alex balks. "What do you mean would I do that? Of course I would! You're my friend."</p><p>Strand looks down at the popsicle. "Thank you."</p><p>"Thank <em>you</em>," Alex says, and Strand frowns. "For giving Warren a much-needed punch in the face."</p><p>Again, they laugh. The rain pours. They do not disappear. They sit, and they are safe. Even if only for this moment.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Look, I'm not saying TBTP would have been better if Warren got punched in the face but... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯</p></blockquote></div></div>
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